DEPARTING assistant coach, Johan Mjallby, has revealed his desire to return to Celtic one day as club manager ahead of his side's Premiership clash with Aberdeen today.

JOHAN MJALLBY has spent six years of his life as a Celtic player and another four in the dugout as the sidekick and sounding board to Neil Lennon.

This 10-year love affair with the Swede’s adopted club will end amicably next Sunday when Mjallby heads off into the sunset to begin another chapter in his life that will almost certainly entail standing on his own two feet as a manager.

But will that be the end of Mjallby and Celtic? Definitely? Maybe.

You see, somewhere in a corner of this big man’s mind there is a part of him unwilling to let go completely.

Yes, he will leave after watching Scott Brown lift the championship trophy next week but Mjallby admitted yesterday he would love to return to Parkhead at some point in the future – this time as the main man.

It may seem a fanciful notion but Mjallby has excelled in the No.2 role, helping to guide Lennon through what has often been a managerial minefield, and he believes that at some point he will be a boss in his own right.

And if he’s good enough, the 43-year-old may well end up back at Celtic Park for a third time.

When asked if he would like to be in charge of the Hoops one day, he replied: “If I’m a manager and doing well then definitely.

“You don’t say no to a job like that. It’s like when Neil first phoned me up and said, ‘We’ve got eight league games and a semi-final against Ross County in the Scottish Cup.’

“He gave me a minute to decide and then I said, ‘Of course.’ The journey started there.

“After losing to Ross County we didn’t think we would get the job but luckily the board decided to go with us. After that it has been quite good.

“It has not been plain sailing but it has been good. Will you see me back some day? Maybe, you never know.”

The departure will be emotional, of that he has no doubt. But the big Swede has no regrets.

He added: “I’ve been thinking about it and it comes to a point where you have to make a decision for your own good.

“I feel I need a challenge and to try something new because I’ve been here 10 years of my life – six as a player and then four in management.

“People on the outside maybe think it’s surprising you leave such a massive and successful football club but sometimes you have to develop yourself as well.

“I see myself as quite brave to make this decision in a way.

“I’m leaving a massive club that is always going to win titles and most of the time hopefully play in Europe as well, which has been really great for my own development.

“I’ve loved working with this group of players. I’m quite proud of the way we’ve improved most of the boys as well.

“Some of them have been real success stories, the likes of Victor Wanyama. We bought him for not much money and sold him on for a lot which was very good business for the club.”

Mjallby has also seen Lennon develop into a fine manager and does not believe it certain the Northern Irishman will follow him out the door at Parkhead in the near future.

He said: “Neil’s definitely a much better manager now. He’s calmer. He’s still passionate and is going to have that hunger but he needs that – we all need it.

“He’s very interested in watching football from all around the world. Neil watches a lot of European games, he goes and looks at a lot of players and sees other managers.

“He has tactically improved a lot and we could see that last year in the Champions League, which was a great learning curve for all of us at Celtic.

“That was where we really had to prepare the team before those games in the Champions League.

“Neil is obviously not going to be at Celtic forever but he is very happy being manager here.

“He feels at home and knows Celtic inside out. Neil knows what a big club it is and that hopefully there will always be the chance to get into the Champions League. He loves Glasgow and so does his family. So I don’t see him moving on any time soon.

“One day he will because as a manager you always want to go and do other things.

“There was a time when it was difficult for Neil here, when it was a wee bit over the top.

“It was hard for him as a civilian, if you like. There were too many things outside football. But it has been very good for him in the last couple of years.

“Getting into the Champions League has been very important for him and for the club, especially with Rangers not in the top flight.”

Mjallby will be in the dugout beside Lennon against Aberdeen this afternoon and on Wednesday night in Perth. Then it will be Dundee United at home a week tomorrow.

After that it will be over, for the time being at least. “I didn’t know when I left as a player that I would come back as a coach,” he said.

“But it will be a strange feeling, more to leave this group of players whom I’ve really enjoyed working with.

“You can always come back and watch games and see people working at the club.

“So it will be a sad day in a way but also a happy day as we won the league this season.

“We’ve been really consistent and played well. It has been mostly ups in my time here and we’ve been quite successful, winning the league and doing well in Europe.

“We’ve also brought young players in and improved them. That’s important for the club right now.”